The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to a flexible collar assembly for an article of footwear.
A wide variety of articles of footwear include a collar assembly that functions to provide support to the ankle region. The function of support is generally accomplished by providing a rigid or relatively stiff material in the collar region that presents resistance to movement of the upper in the ankle region. The collar helps to reduce the risk of supranation, pronation, and hyperextension. However, conventional collars suffer in that they limit the range of motion of the ankle and otherwise lead to discomfort in that area.
Many conventional upper constructions are formed from a continuous piece of material that wraps around the ankle region. This typical construction provides support to the ankle region, but compromises the range of motion of the footwear in both the forward/rearward and medial/lateral directions. When the ankle flexes forward or rearward during walking, the collar assembly impedes the natural motion of the ankle and therefore may result in discomfort. Furthermore, the relatively inflexible collar assembly may cause unnecessary rubbing in the Achilles region which may lead to discomfort or soft tissue injuries in that region.
Some efforts toward a more flexible footwear upper have been made in the area of ski boots and skate boots. Due to the nature of these activities, and the extra support they require, ski and skate boots are typically comprised primarily of very rigid materials, such as injection molded plastic. In an effort to provide some flexibility in a forward/rearward direction, some of these ski and skate boots include cutouts in the rigid material in the front and/or rear of the ankle region. The cutouts provide flexion only in the forward/rearward direction so the boot is essentially rigid in the medial/lateral direction. The cutouts may be closed with a flexible insert attached to the exterior of the upper that allows the cutout to open and close with the flexion of the ankle. These inserts protect the ankle in the areas of the cutouts, but they are often bulky and unsightly.
The above noted efforts provide at least some degree of flexibility in the forward/rearward direction, however, they are tailored for use with the rigid materials of ski and skate boots and do not provide sufficient flexibility for many other applications. Furthermore, the components used to provide flexibility to the collar are exposed and visible, and therefore affect the overall aesthetics of the footwear.